DWP Cold Weather Payments triggered in 11 areas with some households due £50

12 December 2023 , 09:39

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DWP Cold Weather Payments triggered in 11 areas with some households due £50

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a second Cold Weather Payment for parts of the UK, with thousands of people now entitled to £50 towards their heating bills.

The Cold Weather Payment was triggered for eleven postcode districts in Cumbria. It is estimated that around 4,000 people will receive the second payment after temperatures around the Lake District dipped below freezing last week.

These are the first areas to receive a second Cold Weather Payment so far this winter. Nearly 300 other postcode areas in the North of England and East Midlands have been given a single payment of £25.

Payments have also been made in eleven areas in Northern Ireland. In most other areas of England and also all of Wales, temperatures have not dropped below freezing for long enough to trigger any payment from the DWP.

Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the temperature goes below freezing (Getty Images)

The eleven postcode areas in Cumbria to receive a second payment include Windermere, the Lakes and Coniston, after freezing temperatures recorded at the Shap weather centre. The first payment was triggered on 27 November and the second on 1 December.

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The full list of postcode areas where eligible people will receive a second Cold Weather Payment, totalling £50 so far this winter, are:

• CA10 - Cliburn, Cumbria
• CA11 - Catterlen, Cumbria
• CA12 - Keswick, Cumbria
• CA16 - Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
• CA17 - Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
• LA8 - Kendal, Cumbria
• LA9 - Kendal, Cumbria
• LA10 - Sedbergh, Cumbria
• LA21 - Coniston, Cumbria
• LA22 - Lakes, Cumbria
• LA23 - Windermere, Cumbria

Although these areas in Cumbria have received two Cold Weather Payments, the bordering areas to the west such as Cockermouth, have so far not received a single payment. That’s because temperatures at St Bees Head weather station on the coast have not fallen below freezing for long enough.

A total of more than 580,000 people have so far received a Cold Weather Payment this winter. Last year more than 5.5 million Cold Weather Payments were made by the DWP over the whole winter.

The DWP says those claiming the following benefits may be eligible for the Cold Weather Payment; Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, Support for Mortgage Interest.

Not all those receiving these benefits will automatically receive a Cold Weather Payment. There are a number of factors which will determine whether a payment will be made and full details of those eligible are available on GOV.UK.

The payments are triggered if average temperatures in an area have been recorded at, or are forecast to be, below freezing for seven consecutive days. Recipients are automatically paid £25 for each seven day period of cold weather running across the winter period between November 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.

Paul Gallagher